Precious Obogo
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has warned, has warned that billions of naira invested in clean power projects across the country’s tertiary institutions may be wasted if the facilities are not subjected to professional maintenance and rigorous asset management.
Alausa issued the warning in Abuja on Wednesday at the official launch of the Renewable Energy Asset Management Company (RAMCO), stressing that the sustainability of the nation’s energy investments hinges on proactive operational oversight rather than just project deployment.
“Without this, even the best infrastructure will eventually fail to deliver the benefit for which it was established,” Alausa said, emphasizing that renewable energy assets require technical expertise, regular monitoring, clear accountability, and the timely replacement of critical components to prevent premature breakdown.
The minister noted that the issue is particularly critical for the education sector, which has already benefited from about 70 megawatts (MW) of clean energy capacity deployed across 15 sites under the first two phases of the Rural Electrification Agency’s (REA) Energizing Education Programme (EEP).
According to him, Phase One delivered roughly 22MW across seven sites, while Phase Two encompasses approximately 40MW across eight locations, serving institutions such as the University of Abuja, University of Calabar, University of Maiduguri, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigerian Defence Academy, University of Port Harcourt, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and Federal University, Kashere.
Highlighting the transformative impact of the initiative, Alausa cited the University of Abuja, where a 3.2MW installation now provides round-the-clock power.
“What does that tell you? Lecturers are heading to teach using the latest technology. The learning management system is fully functional. Research and innovation are going on uninterrupted, and our students are being treated carefully, the way any student anywhere should be treated,” he said.
He cautioned, however, that these gains could quickly evaporate without a dedicated framework to preserve asset value over time.
He hailed RAMCO’s establishment as a necessary pivot toward lifecycle management, urging the management company to work with vice-chancellors, chief medical directors, and campus technical teams to maintain proactive upkeep.
Alausa added that securing existing clean power assets is vital to supporting the government’s broader education reforms, which depend heavily on stable electricity for digital learning, research laboratories, and vocational training.
Earlier, the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Aliyu, described RAMCO as the future of productive renewable energy asset utilization.
He explained that RAMCO will not burden the national treasury, but will instead unlock fresh private capital and revenue streams to ensure the long-term sustainability of off-grid infrastructure.
“RAMCO will reduce Nigeria’s dependence on government budgets, sovereign borrowing, and development finance to expand electricity access,” Aliyu said.
He added that RAMCO will enable capital deployed into mature renewable energy assets to be refinanced or recycled under robust commercial and regulatory frameworks, freeing up liquidity for new projects.